Posted on October 22, 2026 in Monthly Movies, Movies, TV
FIFA World Cup 2026 – I grew up with a Dad who watches football and now am married to a big football fan so this became our lives for a month. The expansion of the world cup was fun with weeks of daily matches.
Agatha Christie’s Marple – We watched a bit more on this series but pivoted to Poirot since we had watched all the Marple that we had already read.
Rick and Morty S9 – I got more into this show a few years ago which was later than most and I am glad it’s not as mainstream popular anymore. I think the writing on the show has improved a lot and the animation is better than ever. This season was the most consistent and best looking one. Every one of the episodes of this season had something I really liked and even the one episode I was a bit mid on (S09E03), I still laughed. The Mortgulley episode was one of the best episodes the show and the finale had a deep emotional notes as usual.
Agatha Christie’s Poirot S1-S3, S5, S4 – We watched S1-S3, S5, and some of S4 by end of Sept. We only watched the adaptations of short stories and novellas. I only did the adaptations of novels we had already read. So there is still a ways to go. David Suchet was brilliant in it and the cozy feel of the early seasons is fantastic. The set and costuming design of the show is great.
Murder on the Orient Express (1974) – We watched this one after finishing the audiobook. We had both seen the 2017 one and that was fine. I thought I had seen this one years ago but I think I had seen the Suchet one instead. I was surprised by how bad this 1974 one was. The pacing was very stunted. I was disappointed by Albert Finney’s portrayal of Poirot. I could not understand his odd accent and the character of Poirot was very rude and obnoxious. I vastly prefer David Suchet. We could not get through the whole film and fast forwarded through most of the middle. Lauren Bacall and Ingrid Bergman were the highlights. Jacqueline Bisset was gorgeous.
Much Ado About Nothing (1993) – This had a great cast. Emma Thompson was great and it was good to see Denzel Washington in this too. Michael Keaton was playing a variant of Beetlejuice.
Resident Playlist (2025) – My husband was watching this drama. I watched it whenever I was in the same room paying attention. I caught most of the last 4 episodes. I liked the fake kpop boy group marketing that was used in it.
Seven Dials Mystery (2026) – The original novel was a rather lighthearted mystery with funny lines and moments. This adaptation took all of that out and made it unnecessarily grim. As usual for a British production, the acting was decent. Martin Freeman stood out. I did not like show runner Chris Chibnall’s work in Doctor Who or Torchwood so I went into this with low expectations. We were bored with the the dour tone. It was not that even good to look at especially the costuming for Bundle. We had to watch the last episode on 1.25x to get through it. The changes opened up more questions than the original novel which did have plot holes, but this one had more.
Seven Dials Mystery (1981) – We started this one but need to finish it. Already it’s a more faithful adaptation than the 2026 one. We have not finished it since I do find the 1980s period pieces less interesting to look at.
The Up series – We rewatched all of the Up series documentary movies from 7 Up and finished with the latest 70 up. I am glad there was a resolution. Nothing will be like this series again. It was very fascinating to watch a living history series like this.
Posted on August 16, 2022 in Monthly Movies, Movies, TV
I watched everything in May and June except the end of Stranger Things. I did not watch much in July.
Shiva Baby (24 05 2022) – I saw a short scene from this many months ago on Youtube and didn’t know the name of the film. I saw it again on a film analysis video and I decided to watch some clips of it on YouTube before watching the film. I really enjoyed how tight the script was and how it was shot. You could tell a lot of work was put into it and the tone of the movie was chaotic and tense. The movie got a lot of pathos from everyone in a short time. I was not surprised that was it from a short film and am glad the director-writer was able to make it a feature.
“Stranger Things” Season 4 Volume I – After the first two eps, I spoiled myself and basically watched it in the background. I am not a fan of horror but I continue to watch this show. Also, some of these actors are good. The hopper and jock storyline were so weak that I fast forwarded to them.
“You” Season 3 – The appeal of this show for me is about 75% Penn Badgley and the other 25% being the writing and the location shooting. Everyone is so hard to like on this show but it’s played for dark comedy. I think I like this season more than the second one. I like that show changes locations every season and the next one is already shooting in London should be fun.
“Stranger Things” Volume II – Overall still fun. It was not a bad season. Too gory and violent at times though.
Posted on May 2, 2022 in Monthly Movies, Movies
Back in the early years of this blog – about 20 years ago – I would track all the movies I watched.
In the last couple years, I cut down on a lot of TV and film watching because I was looking at too many screens during my work day and I wanted time for my other hobbies.
Now that I am living mostly alone (temporarily) and knitting more, tv and film are back on my radar. I also have a big backlog of TV and films.
I also want to watch more French language things because I have not been using French at all in the last 5 years. Ten years ago, I even worked briefly in French so I’d like to keep it up.
Logan Lucky (22 03 2022) – Long overdue to watch this film which features two actors from my List of favourites. Hint: Channing Tatum is not one of them even though I like him fine. I have always liked Steven Soderbergh as a director. I love his fast shots and angles. Funny and entertaining movie. I felt really immersed in the world. It’s really nice watching an original, smaller budget film with great actors and not overly fancy CGI or effects. This movie is not in any cheap looking because of the script and the crew though. Really good.
Spider-man No way home – I wish I had seen this in theatres. Like many people of my generation, I saw the Tobey Maguire Spider-man movies in cinema and liked them. Well, the first 2 any way. I was spoiled for awhile going into this newest edition. I am a casual Marvel fan and do not watch every Marvel movie or TV show but there are definitely some characters and aspects to the movies which I like. I honestly think they captured some of the best of the first time Spider-Man franchises (including their leads) and the new Marvel ones. The ending is more bittersweet than most Marvel movies which I appreciated.
I planned to watch more things in April, but other things got in the way.
Posted on January 4, 2020 in Monthly Movies, Movies, TV
I was been watching a lot of shows or movies this past autumn. November and December did bring more some better shows.
Movies
Hobbs & Shaw – I have not seen a Fast & Furious movie in a long time, but we both enjoyed the trailer of this movie way back in the spring. It was fun. I spent the whole time making candied peel for my stollen. It was the perfect movie to bake or cook to.
Murder on the Orient Express – See review here.
Knives Out – Mystery whodunnit kind of holiday flick. Loved this. Everyone did a great job and I look forward to seeing more Benoit Blanc mysteries. I really hope this means the return of more mysteries in theatres and original franchises.
TV
“Midnight Diner” Season 2 – This is such a cozy TV show if you like Japanese shows. I found a couple of the episodes in the season didn’t work as well as Season 1 but I still love this show overall. It has a real ambiance and vibe similar to some sitcoms, but quieter in the Japanese style.
“The Crown” Season 3 – I did find the writing and storylines in Season 3 less engaging than the first two seasons. There was a lack of character development on the Queen. I did not like the “woe is me” narrative that Charles had. Acting is still very good. My favourite episode was probably “Bubbikins” and “Aberfan”.
“Masterchef The Professionals” Series 11 – This is one of my favourite shows. Pure comfort in watching professionals competing without drama.
“The Mandalorian” Season 1 – One of my favourite new shows in the year. “Baby Yoda” (or Not Yoda) is adorable. I love the body language acting by Pascal and the doubles. The writing and episodic nature are tight. Most of all, the music is some of the best TV soundtracks I’ve heard in awhile.
Posted on August 2, 2019 in Monthly Movies, Movies
Intimate Strangers (06 07 2019) – Watched on a flight to South Korea. This is the Korean version of the Italian Perfect Strangers. I haven’t see the Italian version but I saw the French one a couple months ago. This was much better than the French one as they were able to walk the line with the black comedy better. It also felt a bit more honest and I really liked the cast. The ending about everyone having three lives: public, private, and secret was interesting and drove the message better.
Captain Marvel (06 07 2019) – Fun! I really liked Larson in this role. She possesses both charm, humour and kick ass strength. Everyone in the cast were great too. I really look forward to seeing more of Captain Marvel and she may become my favourite Avenger.
The LEGO Movie 2 (11 07 2019) – Another easy flight movie. Not as good as the first one, but I still like the world building. I no longer find Pratt as funny or endearing as when the first movie came out, but it was fun here.
Aquaman (11 07 2019) – This was not bad. I think everyone involved did a decent job. I found the plotting convoluted and overwrought. While I think Momoa generally has chemistry with most people, him and Heard (who is beautiful) was moderate, but not stellar. I’d watch a sequel if the reviews for it are decent.
Cruise of the Gods ( 27 07 2019) – My partner the Steve Coogan fan made me watch this but it was not bad. It’s a satire about celebrity cruises and fandoms. I find Brydon’s character too much of a jerk to be believable but this is a comedy after all. James Corden as sweet little Russell makes me wish we saw him in those kind of subtle roles again.
Posted on July 24, 2019 in Monthly Movies, Movies
Always Be my Maybe (01 06 2019) – Very cute and funny. I liked a lot of the jokes and could relate to a lot of the character touches. Not all the jokes landed or the pacing at times, but it worked for me. I rewatched the Keanu Reeves intro scene a few times.
Madame de / The earrings of Madame de (07 06 2019) – Well shot with lovely visuals. An old French classic with a very romantic plot of affairs. It’s over the top romance that works because of Max Ophüls’s direction. It’s been awhile since I watched a black and white film, but this one reminded me of the lighting and shots that were so innovative back then. I enjoyed it and felt invested by the end. I watched it again with film critic commentary too.
Les Grandes Chaleurs / Heatwave (12 06 2019) – A Quebec film from 2009 which I got for Francois Arnaud from The Borgias a few years ago. This film is set in the Quebec City region which i visited in May again so I understood the area. It was a cute film but was a bit slow in parts.
La Pianiste / The Piano Teacher (12 06 2019) – This is one of those French films where there is a very repressed female protagonist. Erica is an unlikeable character with lots of issues. This is not an enjoyable film to watch but the direction and two leads did a good job.
Spider-man Far From Home (29 06 2019) – Watched this 3D abroad where it was not dubbed but maybe even slightly censored. I find 3D rather useless and it didn’t add to this film much. Watching with a non-english speaking audience was interesting as they didn’t find some things as funny but they found others hilarious. I don’t think this movie was as good as the first Marvel Spider-Man and it was predictable and too jokey in parts. I do like the main cast.
Posted on June 7, 2019 in Monthly Movies, Movies, TV
Movies
Hail Caesar! (16 04 2019) – I remember seeing the trailer a couple years ago and looking forward to it but the reviews were not great so I put it off. The pacing in this movie is odd. It’s lacklustre and often times feels like a bunch of random scenes rather than a cohesive movie. I didn’t hate the movie but it did drag for the most of it. Good points is that every scene looks great. I love this era in the film and you can tell the Coen’s do too as they put effort in the look and of course the great casting. All in all, I still gave it a thumbs up on Netflix but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Bumblebee (24 04 2019) – Much better than anything Michael Bay could ever do. Sweet and easy popcorn flick. I hope the transformers franchise changes for the better.
Solo: A Star Wars Story (20 05 2019) – I needed to wash my brain after that GoT finale and see Emilia Clarke in a character with nuance. I put off watching this for awhile mostly because I knew it would be a decent popcorn flick. I watched it while doing chores, having lunch, and making Swedish cinnamon rolls. Maybe it’s because I knew going in that the movie had some weak areas, but I liked it. I thought it had a great cast and that everyone got to do something interesting.
The Death of Stalin (21 05 2019) – This is such an odd movie. It somehow manages to balance the inherent anxiety and fear of the time with black comedy. It’s very unique in its very dark themes and plot, but it is done well. Fantastic cast and acting. It is entertaining and thought provoking. While not completely historically accurate, it probably does capture the gist and spirit of history. A good watch.
TV
April:
“The OA” – We started this late March/early April. We watched it slowly for about five episodes but I wanted to move ahead so I binged the rest of Part 1 and all of Part 2 around April 22. I really liked this show. Good acting, very well shot, but it has a very interesting premise and world building. It is very slow so I am wary to recommend it to anyone, but I enjoyed weird shows like this.
“Line of Duty” Series 5 – Have not even seen series 1-4. I liked it and can see why it’s good, but some of these interrogation scenes were very long. End felt a bit dragged out.
May:
“Game of Thrones” Season 8 – I don’t want to talk about it.
Posted on April 3, 2019 in Monthly Movies, Movies
“Dix pour cent (Call my Agent!)” Season 3 (05-07 03 2019) – French comedy series on Netflix that I have been following. My French has been dropping off lately and I haven’t been watching as many French things. I try to do it while knitting so this helped me finish the Pavement sweater.
“Russian Doll” Season 1 (07 03 2019) – I like the time loop trope. I went in unspoiled and am so glad. I like how well written and acted it was. While it was sometimes crass and crude, the heart of it is about empathy and human connection. Good stuff.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (07-08 03 2019) – Enjoyable largely because of the cast. Wish it had more Pffeifer!
“Plan Coeur (The Hookup Plan)” Season 1 (11-12 03 2019) – Not as good as Dix pour cent. So many unlikable characters but at least the two leads and some of the supporting characters are OK. They hooked me with the cliffhanger ending. I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone though.
Le Jeu (Nothing to Hide) (12 03 2019) – French film that about boring middle aged French married couples having problems stuff. Mostly boring and full of unlikable characters. It was short at least.
Bienvenue a Marly-Gormont (The African Doctor) (19 03 2019) – Better than the last French movie but had some second hand embarrassment from the first hour or so.
Le Monde est a toi (The World is Yours) (19 03 2019) – I need to take a break from these French movies. I think I’ve watched most of the ones available on Netflix now. This one also had a bad start and the script is not great. The actors made it bearable. Vincent Cassel and Isabelle Adjani are in it. The best thing about this movie was the small moment of genuine friendship between an older guy and a little girl who experiences being abused by their parents.
Your Name / Kimi no Na wa (24 03 2019) – Beautiful. I’ve been meaning to watch this for awhile. I use to grow up watching a few anime series but I feel like the best ones lately and for most part are the movies.
Hidden Figures (30 03 2019) – A nice period piece with lots of good acting. There is aspect of feel good Hollywood but at least it’s about Women of Colour.
Posted on March 9, 2019 in Monthly Movies, Movies, TV
King of thieves (18 02 2019) – We watched this for the great cast and while there are some funny moments due primarily to the cast chemistry, the script and pacing was off. Tone was a bit weird too; it was darkly funny but then other times it couldn’t balance the darker moments.
Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse (22 03 2019) – Very fun and worth the praise and help. This movie uses the animated medium to the best of storytelling. Great music and soundtrack and probably the best Sony spider-man movie ever. Will rewatch some of my favourite parts.
TV shows currently watching:
- Masterchef UK
- My Kitchen Rules
- Great British Sewing Bee
Posted on February 2, 2019 in Monthly Movies, TV
Movies
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (04 01 2019) – Finally got around to watching this. It was on the long side but enjoyed most of the movie and its characters.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (06 01 2019) – Very fun. I love the jokes about video games and its tropes. Jack Black really stole his scenes. The cast was all great except Kevin Hart played himself. Definitely in for a sequel.
Bohemian Rhapsody (19 01 2019) – The casting including the stellar Rami Malek and the last Live Aid scene was good, but this isn’t the best film I’ve seen in awhile. The script and directing were both lacking and I know Singer had to drop out (never liked him any way). The movie felt a bit staid bordering on having that manufactured biopic filming. I enjoyed it overall but it’s a testament to Queen’s music and the great cast.
Me Before You (25 01 2019) – Yes, it has taken me years to watch this film after reading the book. I liked the book and I adore Emilia Clarke, but I put this off because I knew the ending. I managed not to cry by basically watching most of this while preparing for and eating dinner. Then cleaning up. Clarke and Sam Claifin have a lot of chemistry. I’m glad they didn’t make the sequel as I hated it, but I wish Clarke and Claifin were in more things overall and together.
TV
I forgot to track this but I think I got most of it.
Tidying up with Marie Kondo (01-03 01 2019) – I liked the books. I found the show relaxing except for a couple of home owners. I wish there was more of Marie and Iida.
Strike (27 01 2019 to 01 02 2019) – All three series: Cuckoo’s Calling, the Silkworm, and Career of Evil. After reading Lethal White, I realized I hadn’t watched the BBC adaptation of the first three. I watched it with my SO and he’s never read the books but expressed an interest in the show. We really liked all three of them. I’ve always liked Burke and Grainger and I think the show did a good job of cutting out the angst of their relationships. It’s also an easy procedural to watch; maybe a bit too easy. It’s not trying to be cutting edge or different than other TV, but since it’s a BBC production, it’s still very good. I look forward to the Lethal White one.
Posted on January 10, 2019 in Monthly Movies, Movies, TV
It’s been awhile since I did these kind of posts. I haven’t really been watching as many movies or tv shows as I use to, but I’d like to mark it here on a seasonal basis.
September
“Bodyguard” Series 1 (BBC) – This is BBC’s most watched drama in years. I enjoyed it a lot. I like Richard Madden and I’m glad he gets to stretch some range with this role. My partner is a big fan of Jed Mercurio’s “Line of Duty” as well and I will start that soon.
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (21 09 18) – Reviewed here.
October
Ocean’s 8 (22 10 18) – I had moderate expectations going into this because I knew it was not the most critically acclaimed. I really enjoyed it because it looked good and the cast is extraordinary. It’s not as stylish as Soderbergh’s films but I like Gary Ross’s work. There is not much in the way of character development, but this is a fun movie. I actually hope there is a sequel.
“The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” Season 1 (Oct 2018) – A tad long side. Found the mortal/Sabrina friends storylines were dull but witch ones are fun. Good cast and styling.
November
Ethel & Ernest (03 11 2018) – Very lovely animated film about an English family in the early twentieth century
December
L Storm (12 12 2018) – I’ve developed a tradition of watching Chinese or Hong Kong movies on airplanes. Decent plotting and suspense, but not much in the way of character development.
Gravity (25 12 2018) – Really like Curaon as a director so been meaning to watch it. Quite nice and definitely a theatre movie but we only watched on our small screen. We watched Charade earlier the same day (one of my fav movies growing up) and it was jarring to see Clooney as a second rate Cary Grant.
Posted on October 2, 2016 in Monthly Movies, Movies
JUNE 2016
The Decoy Bride (09 06 2016) – In attempt to watch something after Jessica Jones where David Tennant is not a psycho, I had this in the queue. Tennant and Kelly Macdonald in Scotland can’t go wrong? Well, the script is not great. This is he kind of romantic comedy that could have made more money ten or twenty years ago, but is very much out of favour. There were trite and cliche situations. I really like the actors, but my mind wandered. My favourite moment was when an older deaf couple dance. That made me tear up. At least Tennant did use his soft romance eyes rather than his psycho ones.
JULY 2016
I can’t remember if I watched any movies. It was the summer of sports with Euros and the Olympics.
AUGUST 2016
Sophie’s Choice – I can’t remember when I watched this, but it was one of the most depressing movies I have seen in a long time. It took me two days to finish because I was bored during most of it. I did know the ending, but it took forever to get to that point. All the while, you have to watch some very unhealthy relationships. It was miserable. I like Meryl Streep and she was great in it, but I also get the criticisms of the book and the movie.
The Martian (30 08 2016) – Reviewed here.
Captain America: Civil War (30 08 2016) – When this movie first came out, I thoroughly spoiled myself. Usually this does not bother me, but it did feel like I had already watched the movie when I saw this one. Entertaining enough. Villain was largely forgettable again. Looking forward to Black Panther, Spider Man and Infinity Wars.